Trevor Gripper Cricketer

Trevor Raymond Gripper is a Zimbabwean cricketer. He was born on December 28, 1975 in Salisbury - now Harare. Gripper is a somewhat solid opening batsman, who once spent four hours 23 minutes inching his way to 28 in a match against England A. However, his off-spin bowling has also proved useful, and in first-class cricket he may fairly be considered an all-rounder, with his batting average above 33 and his bowling average below 32. Gripper made his first-class debut for a Matabeleland Invitation XI during Worcestershire's 1996/97 tour of Zimbabwe, scoring 45 in the number 1 position before being caught by Graeme Hick off the bowling of Gavin Haynes. However, he did not play another match at that level until the aforementioned game against England A in February 1999. Gripper made his Test match debut in October 1999 against Australia at Harare; the selectors' decision was somewhat surprising since at the time Gripper had still not recorded a first-class century. He made 60 in the second innings. His maiden Test hundred came against Bangladesh in 2001, as Zimbabwe piled up 542/7 declared. He has played domestic cricket for Matabeleland, Manicaland and Mashonaland, and it was for the latter that he made his highest first-class score - 234 against Manicaland, which performance brought him a recall to the Zimbabwe team for the 2003/04 tour of Australia. He also played two seasons for Cranleigh Cricket Club in Surrey (1999 and 2004) totalling over 1,400 1st XI runs and 68 wickets.